Rifts
by Choco
Summary: Some rifts that form between friends are insurmountable...like the death of a friend. Rated for angst and character death. This is my first attempt at writing a Zelda angst, so please R & R!


Rifts Rifts   
Author: Choco   
Email: ChocotheFaery@angelfire.com   
Rating: PG (For angst)   
Point of View: Link's   
Description: Some rifts that form between friends are insurmountable...like the death of one of the said friends. Link and Zelda suffer one of these rifts. This is the first real angst 'fic I've written, so please give me a little constructive critisism. Tell me how you like it! 

Hers were eyes you could get lost in. 

Zelda's eyes were so blue and dark they looked like midnight skies. They had lossed any naive-ness that had dwelled in those crystalline depths long ago. That had been replaced by a wisdom painfully old for her age. They were oh so easy to stare into. And now, I was going to lose those eyes forever. 

A few weeks ago, one of Zelda's friends had died. He was an old ambassador, from one of Hyrule's neighboring countries. Because of the customs of his country, he was carried from his home to his grave in the raw elements. That day had been a damp, muggy day, with the promise of rain. Give me the weather of any day, and I can tell you what happened on that day-it's one of my quirks. Zelda had just gotten over the sniffles, and insisted on going. She marched alongside the servants who carried the body. The skies opened up along the way, and Zelda was soaked to the skin. She suffered a relapse. 

The royal doctor tried to cure her using all of their medical genius. They even suggested using leeches-the King of Hyrule refused. They brought in the crazy professor from the lake, but he wasn't called crazy just because he liked to eat frog's eyes. He didn't know what his name was, let alone who Zelda was. As a last resort, they brought in Medina, the medicine shop hag from Kakariko. She said she had something called "pneumonia", but the things she'd need to cure it were long gone. Meanwhile, Zelda wasted away. 

I heard about it from the gossping townspeople in Hyrule Castle Town. She was-supposedly-not allowed any visitors. My heart sank, but not for long. I came up with a quick and efficient plan in the Town Armory. That was a few hours ago. Now, I'm on my way to the gate. I'll take the old path to the courtyard Call it a hunch, but I know she'll be there. It'll be hard to get into the small opening as an adult, but I think I can squeeze into it. I will squeeze into it-if I can see her one more time. 

* * * 

Yes, I'm here now. Here, inside the castle gates but not inside the castle garden. It's almost dawn; I can smell it in the air. The sky is stained purple, and the horizon is a bright pink. It looks so beautiful-but I can't help wondering if it'll be the last sunrise Zelda will see. I bowed my head, and said a silent prayer to Naryu: 

_Please shield Zelda with yourlove so I can see her just one more time._

I raised my head, feeling strange. I hadn't prayed to the goddesses since the day I had seen the Deku Tree die. Not even when the Deku Tree Sprout was planted did I start praying again. It felt strange to pray ahain. My only salvation from feeling guilt was that I wasn't praying on my behalf. Well I was, but it was for someone else, and... 

The sun crested over the horizon, covering the world in all its golden glory. I stared at it for a minute, breathless. I'd been in dank dungeons for most of my life, so I didn't get to see alot of sunrises. I shook my head, sweaty hair clinging to my face with the movement. The guards were least aware during daybreak, so it was then or never. 

I sighed, bracing myself. Water mixed with refuse poured out of the small water duct, and into the moat in an almost steady stream. The milk crates from seven years before were gone; luckily, I'm taller and can jump farther now. I did so then, traversing the huge moat in a single leap. I landed on the ledge next to the duct, refuse staining my tailor-made Kokiri Boots. Sadly, I didn't care. Nor did I care I was going to visit the princess with water and thicker things on my tunic. I doubted she would care; I sure didn't. 

Groaning, I pinched my nose shut, got down on my hands and knees, and hoped for luck. 

* * * 

I crouched below the last hedge,tasting my heart in my throat. I had barely scampered past the last two guardsn surrounding the huge Triforce structure. Now, I was doubting I could get into the courtyard, because these two guards WERE alert. Then again, it was almost noon, and I had wasted alot of valuable time. Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

I peeked over the hedge, hoping that the guards wouldn't spot me. To my shock, they weren't alery anymore. The duo were on the east side of the rectangular hedge, enjoying their lunches. I didn't wait around to see what they were having. I made a mad dash for the courtyard, my boots soundless on the grass. I was in the stone hallway before the courtyard, and I really didn't want to see what was at the end. 

Cautiously, I exited the short stone hallway...and my breath caught in my throat as I saw her, standing by the window as she had so many years ago. 

Even though she was oh so close to death, she looked more beautiful than she ever had. Her skin was the same color as the nightgown she wore- a snowy white that glistened with sweat. Her blonde hair was perfectly in place as usual, not a hair out of place. Her ample chest heaved up and down, as she coughed up her lifeblood. And her eyes-her beautiful eyes were as alive as ever. 

Zeldastruggled to stop coughing, and she breathed raggedly, the pheglm heavy in her throat. She looked at me, and her eyes were blue and warm."Link", she said in a long, soft sigh. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I walked toward her. I crushed several bunches of red poppies in the process, not knowing they were her favorite. I joined her on the mini-porch, my arms very careful. "Zelda..." 

Zelda nodded without speaking. She started to cry the bluest tears I had ever seen, as if her eyes were bleeding onto her cheeks. I held out my arms to her, and she collapsed into them, sobbing. When she pulled away, blood mixed with the refuse on the front of my tunic. 

I looked into those eyes, and I knew she was about to die. "Why aren't you in bed?", I asked her, though I already knew the answer. 

She let out a laugh that turned into a cough. I held her while she coughed, cradled her in my arms when she fell to the cobblestones. She looked at me with azure eyes so clear and pure, I thought she was already dead. "I'm not goignt o spend my last day in a death bed!" 

I lowered my eyes, but not because of her words. I started to hum the song that kept me alive this long, that calmed her soul, that binded us together- Zelda's Lullaby. I would have used the ocarina, but she wouldn't have been at peace. 

We all suffer rifts with our friends. Some are small, like moving away from them; other rifts, like death, are insurmountable. Now, I had a rift of my own. 

As I sung the last note of the song, I felt Zelda stiffen. She died, along with the song. Tears filled my eyes. I closed her eyes. Noone should be able to get lost in them again. Not if she didn't know about it. 

Yes, we all suffer from our rifts. 

So, what did you think? [Drop me a line][1], or write a review! Constructive critisism only, please! 

   [1]: mailto: ChocotheFaery@angelfire.com



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